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Killing Patton

The Strange Death of World War II's Most Audacious General

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About this listen

Listeners around the world have been enthralled by Killing Lincoln, Killing Kennedy, and Killing Jesus—riveting works of nonfiction that journey into the heart of the most famous murders in history.

Now from Bill O'Reilly, iconic anchor of The O'Reilly Factor, comes the most epic audiobook of all in this multimillion-selling series: Killing Patton.

General George S. Patton, Jr. died under mysterious circumstances in the months following the end of World War II. For almost seventy years, there has been suspicion that his death was not an accident—and may very well have been an act of assassination. Killing Patton takes readers inside the final year of the war and recounts the events surrounding Patton's tragic demise, naming names of the many powerful individuals who wanted him silenced.

 Americas Military Military & War United States World War II War Imperialism Soviet Union Holocaust Imperial Japan Russia
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There have been many tellings of the Patton story over the years - not least the major motion picture carrying the man's name. This doesn't really stray too far from anything that I have already seen or read. It offers a dose of intrigue and gossip to hook the reader in - small side stories about Rommel, Eisenhower, FDR, Churchill, Stalin and so on. It does a good job of teasing out personality traits - both good and bad.

This being said the premise for the book is about a conspiracy to kill General Patton - this really doesn't develop until much later in the telling. I felt a bit conned by that. Really this is just a biography, plus the biographer has a personal theory about the circumstances of the death.

Without giving any spoilers at all I can tell you now that Gen Patton was a leading war figure - which gave many a reason to kill him. He was an inspirational figure, a charismatic leader and successful on the battlefield - why wouldn't his enemies want him dead? Add to this, he was outspoken, he caused political embarrassment to his nation through clumsiness, and he offended his allies. So they had reason to want him 'removed'. In addition he worked in one of the most dangerous places and times of the 20th Century - mainland Europe circa 1944 and 1945. Who, in such a place and time, did not have near misses - was not subject to friendly fire, and did not dodge death repeatedly? Particularly when, as was Patton's way, the individual was so keen to prove their bravery or put themselves in the way of visible harm?

The intrigue the authors offer could be explained by any number of interpretations that don't necessarily mean that Patton was assassinated.

Did many people want Patton to die? Oh - certainly - but that's not a new book.

So while I did enjoy the book - I felt it was slightly misleading, and the conspiracy was far from compelling. I would not have bought another biography about Patton and this didn't take me really anywhere that a previous Patton biography didn't.

Buy this if you don't have a Patton biography. Don't bother if you do, or unless you really must digest everything you can about the man.

An interesting biography, but a weak conspiracy.

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